(Image via SBNation.com)

We all know how “Planking” and “Tebowing” have swept the nation in the past year, giving people everywhere a reason to take ridiculous photos of themselves and post them to the internet, right? Well, following his latest Super Bowl loss, it seems that Patriots QB Tom Brady has spurned a brand new photo-taking trend across the interwebs: “Bradying”.

As you can see from the banner pic, “Bradying” is emulating Tom’s pose where he sulks on the field after a particularly crushing loss. Bonus points if you can incorporate UGGS or a supermodel into your photo.

(Photo: BustedCoverage.com)

We’re not exactly sure who started this trend, but the Bradying website seems to have been set up months ago as a tribute to “winning. and hair. and winning hair.”  There’s also a Bradying Facebook page that’s dedicated “pointing at your opponent and putting the kibosh on them”. These latest pictures just showed up yesterday (and one has been added to the website), but apparently, someone on Yahoo! Answers came up with the idea well before the Super Bowl.

Regardless of who started it, we have a feeling this thing is going to catch on like wildfire.

(Photo: Getty Images via ShutdownCorner)

• Eli Manning has silenced his critics by winning his second Super Bowl MVP, but Shutdown Corner makes the case that Justin Tuck deserved the award too, based on the pressure he applied on Tom Brady all day, including the 1st quarter safety
• Wes Welker’s dropped pass with just 3:46 left in the game is being singled out as the reason the Patriots lost the game, and based on their reaction yesterday, it’s safe to say some of his teammates probably agree

(via Gifninja.com)

• Gisele Bundchen was also not happy with the Patriots receivers after the game, pointing out that “My husband cannot (bleeping) throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time!”
• Steelers James Harrison and Ryan Clark took a couple shots at the Patriots via Twitter after their loss, with Harrison going so far as to say “Cheaters never win!!!”
• It was quick, so you might have missed it, but M.I.A. apparently flipped America the bird during the halftime show (VIDEO HERE)
• Somebody bet $1,000 that the first score of the game would be a safety.  That person is now $50k richer
• In case it was too noisy at your SB party to watch all the much-hyped commercials, here are all the Super Bowl Ads for your viewing pleasure
• And unless you live in North Platte, Nebraska, you probably didn’t know that Will Ferrell appeared in a SB commercial for Old Milwaukee
• Giants rookie LB Greg Jones proposed to his long-time girlfriend on the field immediately following the game, with confetti still falling around them

Eli = Elite (Photo: NY Giants Facebook)

The New York Giants are Super Bowl Champions once again, and Eli Manning has won his second Super Bowl MVP award after defeating the New England Patriots 21-17 in Indianapolis tonight. With the win, Eli officially steps out of the shadow of his brother Peyton, and cements himself in the annals of NFL history as one of the game’s greatest quarterbacks.

The biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter, as the Giants attempted to drive the field for the game-winning score. Manning hit Mario Manningham for this incredible 38-yard sideline catch:

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

As remarkable as Manningham’s catch was, Manning’s throw was equally as brilliant, delivering the ball on a rope in a very tight space where only Manningham could snare it. And the play will undoubtedly go down in Giants history as one of the greatest plays of all time.

Ahmad Bradshaw finished off the drive with a bizarre game-winning 6-yard touchdown run with just over a minute to go. New York was trying to run out some more clock before scoring the go-ahead points and giving the ball back to Tom Brady, but the Patriots called the patented “Red Sea” defense and left Bradshaw untouched … leading to perhaps the most awkward touchdown in Super Bowl history:

(via Reddit/r/nygiants)

The Giants defense was able to hold off a last-minute drive by Brady, which ended with a failed hail mary as the clock struck zero. And suddenly – after winning his second championship and defeating Bill Belichick head-to-head for the second consecutive time on the game’s biggest stage - Tom Coughlin has to be in the conversation as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.

(Photo: NFLMocks.com)

Giants rookie linebacker Mark Herzlich has already defied the odds.

Two years ago, as an All-American at Boston College, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma – a rare form of bone cancer – and was told by doctors that he might not ever walk again, let alone play football. Well, after beating the cancer, returning to play his senior season and making it to the NFL as an undrafted free agent with New York, Herzlich continues to prove the doubters wrong. He played in eleven regular season games this year for the Giants, starting two (including a week 11 showdown against the Eagles), and making an immediate contribution on special teams.

But Herzlich’s tweet from today really put things into perspective as to just how far he’s come in so short a period of time:

(via LarryBrownSports)

Even though he hasn’t played since week 12 due to an ankle injury and illness, Herzlich hopes to take the field for the Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday to complete his utter & total domination of cancer. And regardless, if you’re not inspired by Herzlich’s journey thus far, you may have no soul.

Back in September, NFL Network had Steve Mariucci sit down with Herzlich for this excellent in-depth interview:

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

Cam Rodgers (Photo: Dan Hicks via Twitter)

In case it slipped your mind (it almost did ours), the NFL’s finest players – minus the Giants and Patriots, of course – have gathered in Honolulu for a week of golf, beach time, goofing off and some half-assed preparation for the 2102 edition of the Pro Bowl.

Everyone knows the Pro Bowl is a joke as far as professional sports all-stars games go, since nobody – including the players – cares about the outcome, and therefore nobody really tries. And ever since they got rid of the NFL Skills Challenge in 2007, there’s even less of a reason for fans to tune into the week-long all-star festivities. I mean, has anyone ever gotten a decent explanation for why they stopped doing skills competitions? Instead of a half-speed football exhibition, wouldn’t it be far more compelling to watch these all-stars compete for the title of NFL’s fastest man, strongest leg, best hands, biggest arm, etc? Does anyone genuinely think there’s any more risk of injury here than with the game itself? Hell, I even tuned into the NHL’s All-Star skills competition yesterday just to check it out, and I don’t watch hockey at all.

But I digress. If you’re so inclined, the game itself starts at 7pm ET tonight, and you can watch all the non-action live online.

In the mean time, here are a few Pro Bowl links that caught our eye this week:

• Our banner pic (above) is Aaron Rodgers rocking his Cam Newton look earlier this week in Hawaii, from NBC’s Dan Hicks’ Twitter. Oh, and these are the shoes Cam is rocking this week
• The Jared Allen Experience gives you some insight into a Pro Bowl practice through the eyes of one of our favorite NFLers. Allen was not only mic’d up, but wearing a helmet cam for the day, and has plenty of fun with his fellow NFC elite while making sure not to work too hard. Best moments: Allen imitating the “Wide Nine” stance of Eagles DE Jason Babin, and jokingly asking Clay Matthews “How’d that Super Bowl run work out for you?” Matthews reply: “Shut up.”
• Nike released their brand new Vapor Jet gloves just in time for the Pro Bowl, and also in time to leak the Panthers new logo
• In an effort to increase the social profile for the game (and in stark contrast to their regular season policy), the NFL will allow players to use Twitter during the Pro Bowl game … but only from computers located in designated areas on each team’s sideline. 
• Speaking of the NFL Skills Challenge, here are Ben Roethlisberger (2005) and Ken O’Brien (1991) competing in the QB Challenge from back in the day. This wasn’t actually a Pro Bowl week event, but was cancelled at the same time as the Pro Bowl Skills Challenge in a sweeping ban of all skills-based competitions by the league back in November of 2007. Yeah … after watching those, I guess it wasn’t that exciting after all. Even with the dramatic music.
• And last but not least, here is the biggest hit in the history of the Pro Bowl: Washington’s Sean Taylor destroying punter Brian Moorman on a fake punt:

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

We’re not likely to see any hitting like that tonight.

(via Huffingtonpost.com)

Following his two epic blunders in the NFC Championship game, 49ers returner Kyle Williams quickly became the scapegoat for Niners fans everywhere, even receiving death threats via Twitter by adults who have clearly lost their grip on reality.  Here’s a sampling of some of the more vile messages directed at Williams:

@KyleWilliams_10 HOPE U RUN n2 A BULLET DA WAY U RAN INTO DAT BALL…

Jim Harbaugh, please give @KyleWilliams_10 the game ball. And make sure it explodes when he gets in his car.

@KyleWilliams_10. I hope you, youre wife, kids and family die, you deserve it

Well fortunately, as is often the case, our children are here to help put everything into perspective.  Following the Niners’ loss, 7-year-old Owen Shure is a lifelong 49ers fan, and decided to write an old-fashioned hand-written letter as a show of support for Williams.  You can see the letter itself in the banner pic (above), but in it, little Owen reminds his favorite player that he should be proud of everything he accomplished this season, and to keep his head up.

Let’s just hope some of the “adults” out there learn a thing or two from young Owen. It’s only a game, people. Let’s not forget that.

FULL TEXT FROM OWEN’S LETTER AFTER THE JUMP

Young Owen. So wise. (Photo via huffingpost.com)

Dear Mr. Williams:

We just watched the Playoff game. I feel really bad for you but I wanted to tell you that you had a great season. you sould be very proud, so I wanted to say thank you.

I am your #1 FAN!

Owen Shure

Los Angeles, CA

p.s. your awsome

(Image via NFL.com)

Ray Lewis has long been a controversial figure in the NFL, but no one can argue the man’s ability on the field as one of the finest linebackers of our generation. But the thing that perhaps makes Lewis even more special are his innate gifts as a leader, and his undeniable ability to motivate his teammates around him to be better.

As we watch yet another Ravens defensive coordinator get plucked away for an NFL head coaching job in Chuck Pagano (after Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan and Rex Ryan before him), you can’t help but wonder if it really hasn’t been Lewis who has been the true guiding force of the Baltimore defense all along. Not taking anything away from Pagano, but with guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed in that locker room, it feels like almost anyone could step in and coach this unit to the playoffs.

The latest proof of Lewis’ status as the unquestioned leader of the Ravens comes from his post-game locker room speech immediately following their gut-wrenching AFC Championship loss to the Patriots. Watch and listen as Lewis drops into preacher mode to put things into perspective, congratulating his teammates on a job well done this season, telling Joe Flacco “you played your ass off” in the loss and to keep his head up, while also exhorting them all to get back to work and become stronger as a team.

For this clip, Lewis’ speech has been set to Ravens season highlights, as extra motivation for sad Baltimore fans everywhere.

VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP

(via mocksession.com)

That’s right. The mother f-ing SUPER BOWL!!!

PS – great hold by Weatherford on the game-winning field goal, with a low snap in sloppy conditions. Big play from yesterday’s NFC Championship game that nobody’s going to talk about it because of …

(via Sportsgrid.com)

and this:

(Image via sportsgrid.com)

PPS – We genuinely feel badly for Kyle Williams today. Dude must be the loneliest man in America right now.

Manning took the belt from Rodgers on Sunday! (Photo via tinypic.com)

In Sunday’s big matchup, the New York Giants soundly defeated the defending champion Packers 37-20 in Green Bay yesterday, and will head to San Francisco on Sunday for a re-match of their week 10 loss … not to mention the fabled 2002 wild card comeback and 1990 NFC Championship game.

With the win, Eli Manning may have finally cemented himself as an “elite” quarterback (whatever that means), improving to 6-3 all-time in the post-season after throwing for 330 yards and 3 TDs and outperforming his more-heralded counterpart, Aaron Rodgers (264 yards, 2 TDs). Giants WR Hakeem Nicks was once again the best receiver on the field, pulling in 7 catches for 165 yards and two TDs. The Giants defense once again came to play, harassing Rodgers for four sacks and causing three turnovers and ending the Packers 15-1 season unceremoniously.

And now, here’s your game recap in photos and GIFs (CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE):

Win or lose, this guy's Lambeau field hat is amazing (Photo via Reddit.com/r/nfl)

Nicks struck the first big blow for NY with a 66-yard score in the 1st quarter (photo: Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger)

In the second quarter, it looked as though the Giants got hosed by the refs, who somehow ruled Greg Jennings down on a fumble when video evidence clearly showed otherwise :

Hell, even Mike Pereira thought it was a fumble (Image via Sportsgrid.com)

Just before halftime, the Giants went for it all with a 37-yard hail mary to Hakeem Nicks

Nicks did his best David Tyree in using his helmet to reel in the pass (Photo: Getty Images)

Osi Umenyiora was called for an inexplicable roughing the passer on this one (Image via tinypic.com)

Rodgers was not helped out by his receivers, who dropped EIGHT passes on the day (Photo: JSonline.com)

Jermichael Finley can't reel in a 4th quarter pass (Via sbnation.com)

Michael Boley does Rodgers' Discount Double-Check belt celebration following a sack (Image via LarryBrownSports.com)

Donald Driver realizes the season - and possibly his career in Green Bay - is over (Photo: Sportsgrid.com)

JPP taunts Rodgers late in the game (Photo via Reddit.com/r/nfl)